Second Burglar Arrested
Sheriff Deputies have arrested the second person involved in a break-in on Maple Street near
Byrd Ridge Road Wednesday. As we told you earlier on 3WC News, two teen-aged boys were seen by arriving deputies Wednesday morning coming out of a home with a bag of loot. The boys ran in to the woods, and deputies eventually lost sight of them. One, though, lost his shoes at the edge of the woods. He was arrested a bit later at a nearby convenience store after the deputy recognized him.

The second boy, whose name we are not releasing because he is 16, was arrested yesterday. He was a runaway from the boy’s home on Old Highway 60. A deputy saw him not too far from the home that had been broken into, and detained him on an existing warrant for forgery. Now the boy faces the same charges as his alleged accomplice, 19-year old Brad Little. Those charges include Breaking and Entering, Theft, and running from police. Little’s bond was set at 10-thousand dollars; the other boy’s was set at 20-thousand dollars.

All this over 18 pairs of socks.

Underage Drinking Arrests
Two teen-aged girls were hauled to jail early this morning, after breath tests showed both had been drinking. Sheriff Deputies were called to a home on Town & Country Circle, after another girl told 9-1-1 dispatchers she had received several harassing phone calls from the pair. 19-year old Melissa Ann Church tested with a blood alcohol of point-1-2, and 19-year old Crystal Darlene Roten blew a pont-0-7. Both were arrested and charged with underage drinking.


Regional News:

Suspicious Surry County Death
Surry County detectives are investigating the death of an 36-year-old Pinnacle woman. Dawn Thompson was discovered dead in her apartment yesterday morning. Surry County investigators are calling her death "suspicious.” The results of a preliminary autopsy are back; doctors were unable to determine the cause of Thompson’s death.

Y'all Don't Come to the Yadkin County Jail
Yadkin County's sheriff says the prisoners in his jail won't be coming back because the facility is too decrepit to house them safely.

The jail's 29 inmates were transferred to other county lockups on August third when some showed signs of heat stroke as temperatures reached more than 100 degrees.

Sheriff Mike Cain says the jail, more than 40 years old, lacks air conditioning and has deteriorating pipes and broken toilets. Cain says he recently learned that the drinking water is unsafe due to corroding pipes. He says with all the problems, he doesn't see how the county can reopen the jail.

This week, a grand jury inspected the jail and urged county officials to build a one new, citing an outdated security system and hazards such as exposed wiring. The grand jury forewoman calls the jail a liability and a disgrace.

Former Landis Police Chief Out on Bond
After a week in jail, the police chief busted on Internet porn charges is home. The now former police chief of Landis, North Carolina posted his $50,000 bond and left jail for his China Grove home.

State investigators accused Childers of sending sexually explicit messages to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl. That girl turned out to be an undercover agent.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

Arrests in Gun Theft Case
Sheriff Deputies investigating the theft of a couple of guns last week have made some arrests. Stephen Ryan Little and Terry Nicole Little, both age 26, were arrested Tuesday night, after they told deputies they had sold the guns to another man, Christopher Volpi, in exchange for some drugs. Volpi told deputies initially he did not buy the guns, because he is a convicted felon who cannot possess a gun.

A search warrant executed early yesterday (Wednesday) at Volpi’s house did not locate either gun. However, a search of Volpi did find marijuana and six .357 bullets in his pocket. One of the stolen guns was a .357 revolver. Neither gun has been found yet.

According to a police report, the Littles have admitted stealing the guns, then trading them for drugs – the shotgun for some crack and the handgun for some marijuana. The Littles are charged with stealing the guns, while Volpi is facing a drug possession charge at this time.

All This, And For What?
Two criminals certainly got into more than they bargained for during an encounter with sheriff deputies Wednesday morning. Deputies were called to the area of Maple Street and Byrd Ridge road about 10:20 am, when someone told them two men were breaking into a home. When they pulled up, deputies saw the men coming out of the house, and the burglars ran. At the edge of the woods, one of the men dropped a sack containing their loot, and he lost his shoes. Deputies lost track of the pair in the woods.

Later, a deputy spotted a young man that looked like one of the burglars at the Country Market Deli – right down to the fact that he was wearing no shoes. 17-year old Bradley Little was arrested, and later admitted to the theft. The other teen hasn’t been found yet, but deputies believe they know who he is.

Brad Little is charged with Felony Breaking and Entering, Felony Larceny after a breaking, and with running from police.

And what did Little admit stealing to cause all this? Eighteen pairs of socks, valued at about 70 dollars.

Domestic Violence
Two domestic situations in the past week have resulted in arrests.

On Friday night, sheriff deputies arrested a Wilkesboro man and his girlfriend after a fight. The argument was because the man had not come home from work on time, and would not answer his cell phone during the time he was away. Both suffered injuries during the attack – the woman had a bloody lip and a mark on the side of her face, while the man had several eviden scratches on his back, some of which were bleeding. Both admitted to the violence against the other, and investigators could not establish who hit whom first. They charged both Javier Buese and Sara Rosales with Assault.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of another man, after a passerby saw his girlfriend walking on the side of Upper Darby Creek Road on Tuesday morning. She told deputies she had been thrown in the creek by the man, Daniel Hartley. She said they had been arguing over medication one of them takes. Deputies saw a small bruise on her back, and issued a warrant for Hartley.

Estranged Husband Charged with Kidnapping
A custody battle has resulted in kidnapping and assault with the intent to kill charges against a 38-year old North Wilkesboro man. Gary Scott Sebastian has not been seen since the incident Tuesday evening.

Sebastian’s ex-wife Betty says she brought the couple’s daughter to Mr. Sebastian’s home Tuesday night, and as the girl got out of the car, he got in. Mrs, Sebastian says he pulled a gun from his waistband and began beating her with it, then pointed it at her, forcing her to drive to her house, saying he planned to kill her and the man she lives with.

She jumped out of the car near Liberty Grove Church, and ran to a nearby house to get help. The car wrecked, and Gary Sebastian disappeared. Deputies did find the gun in the car.


Regional News:

Forecloseure "Help" Company Shuttered
A Charlotte company that has claimed to be helping consumers faced with home foreclosure has been forced to stop operating until North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper’s lawsuit against them is complete.

In a news release today, Cooper said Mortgage Assistance of the Carolinas, Inc., its predecessor, Carolina Mortgage Relief, Inc., and owner and president Alan Steve Seabolt of Charlotte have been told by a Wake County Superior Court judge to cease operations.

Cooper said, “This outfit took money from desperate homeowners, promised to help them avoid foreclosure and then left them in the lurch.”

Cooper alleges that both companies and their owner broke state laws against unfair business practices and debt adjusting.

Cooper is seeking to permanently prohibit Seabolt and his companies from continuing their illegal foreclosure assistance services and to require them to cancel all contracts with consumers and pay refunds and penalties.


Weyerhauser Merges with Canadian Company
Forest products giant Weyerhaeuser Co. is combining its fine-paper business with Canadian paper maker Domtar Inc., in a deal the companies valued at about $3.3 billion.

The agreement allows Weyerhaeuser, with operations in the Carolinas, to focus on areas that could have more growth potential, and gives Domtar the heft it could need to be more competitive.

"The new Domtar is in a better position to compete than either company could on its own," Steven Rogel, Weyerhaeuser's chairman, president and CEO, said Wednesday in a conference call with analysts.

The new company is expected to be the largest fine-paper company in North America.

Fine paper, typically used for items such as books, brochures, laser printers and fax machines, is still a familiar sight in most businesses and homes. But as more documents -- such as legal rulings and financial reports -- have gone electronic, analysts have begun to think of it as a sector in decline.

The new company will have 14,000 employees and will be led by Raymond Royer, Domtar's president and chief executive officer.

Lowes: Exclusive Supplier of "Katrina Cottages"
As next week's one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, Lowe's Companies Inc. is getting into the "hurricane home" business.

The home-improvement retailer announced Wednesday that it will be the exclusive retailer of plans and materials needed to build Katrina Cottages -- small, easy-to-construct permanent homes. The Katrina Cottages, designed by Marianne Cusato and a host of architects, including well-known town planner Andres Duany, will be sold through 30 Gulf Coast stores starting in the fall.

"We have a large presence of stores in the impacted area and a lot of our own people were very much impacted by the storm. The need is certainly very clear to see," said David Steed, senior vice president for lumber and building materials for Lowe's. "We also see it as a business opportunity."

Wreck Leads to Recovery of Stolen Item
Wilkesboro Police say a hit and run accident Tuesday led to the arrest of three men and the recovery of a stolen air compressor. A red truck sped off from an accident Tuesday evening at the Arctic Grill, and was stopped a short time later by a sheriff’s deputy in front of Wilkesboro Elementary School.

The tree men inside the truck told officer the compressor in the back belonged to their boss. Turned out it was stolen during a recent burglary in Pensacola, Florida. According to the police report, the driver of the pickup was also intoxicated, and a passenger was holding an open beer. All tree men were arrested.

32-year old Javier Cavillo, who lists a Silas Creek Parkway address, faces charges of driving while intoxicated, after blowing a point-1-7 on the intoxilizer. He also faces charges for the hit and run accident, driving on a revoked license, and displaying a fictitious tag.

21-year old Jeonel Castro was charged with carrying an open container. 31-year old Mario Reyes faces a single charge of possession of stolen goods, a charge that is added to the list against the other two men.

All three remain in the Wilkes County Detention Center.

Identity Theft
The experience of a Miller’s Creek woman this week shows why it is important to check your bank records frequently. The 33-year old woman, who works at Lowe’s office in Wilkesboro, reported Tuesday that sometime in the past week, two charges she hadn’t made, totaling 225-dollars, had shown up on her bank account. One was for an AOL account; the other was for a Wlamart.com purchase totaling 200-dollars. Both purchases were made using her debit card number. The woman told police she had already closed the bank account and was not being held responsible for the charges by the bank. She doesn’t know where someone may have gotten hold of her debit card number.

Sheriff Deputies have completed their investigation of an identity theft case that involves family members. A 19-year old rural Wilkesboro man told deputies his father has been using his social security number to obtain credit for some time. The older man has bought a 26-thousand dollar pickup truck and a number of other items using his son’s social security number, according to documents the 19-year old showed investigators. He didn’t know this was going on until he turned 18 and tried to buy a car on his own and all these credit accounts showed up. The son did not press charges against the father, but he is getting his social security number changed, so it can’t happen any more.

A rural Wilkesboro man tells sheriff deputies he has been receiving bills addressed to two people he doesn’t know. When the bills started showing up, the man checked his credit report and found a number of accounts opened by the two men using his information. Though deputies have names of the men, they do not have current addresses, so at this time the suspects have not been arrested.

Drug Sale Leads to Arrest
A call to the sheriff’s office about drug activity ended with a deputy having to spray a man with pepper spray as he tried to flee the scene. Deputies were called to a location on Reynolds Avenue Northwest at midday Tuesday, by someone who said they’d witnessed a drug buy. The suspected buyer, 26-year old Quinton Parsons, had walked away from the scene before deputies arrived, but one of them located him a short distance away. As the deputy was doing a pat-down of Parsons before putting him in the cruiser, Parsons tried to run off, at which time another deputy tackled Parsons and the first deputy unloaded his pepper spray can onto the man. Parsons was found to be carrying a prescription bottle with 13 grams of crack cocaine. He was arrested and jailed on a 15-thousand dollar bond.

Gone Fishin' -- But Not For This!
A Forsyth County EMS worker who had come to Wilkes County for some fishing relaxation instead became part of a theft case. He reported to the sheriff’s office that a large safe was underwater along the shore of his favorite fishing area, near old Highway 16 North and Tumbling Shoals Road. Deputies found the 150-pound safe in several feet of water, ripped open and damaged beyond repair. Because it is so large and heavy, it has been left where it was found.


Regional News:

Baxter: 2 Months in Jail
Former Charlotte Bobcats player Lonny Baxter was sentenced Wednesday to two months in jail after pleading guilty to charges of carrying a gun a few blocks from the White House.

Baxter, who played with the Bobcats last season, has been in jail since his arrest on Aug. 16, when uniformed Secret Service officers responded to reports of shots being fired from a white sport utility vehicle.

Officers found a gun and spent shell casings in the SUV that Baxter was driving. Baxter, 27, and his passenger, Irvin Martin, 35, were charged with carrying a handgun without a license and other firearms charges.

Baxter, who appeared Wednesday before District of Columbia Superior Court judge Craig Iscoe, apologized for the "careless, stupid, selfish act that I committed."

Only English Spoken Here?
A pair of North Carolina towns are weighing whether to join dozens of cities across the country proposing to make English the official language.

Mint Hill, in Mecklenburg County, and Landis, a town in Rowan County, are reviewing making clear that English is the dominant language.

Mint Hill's proposal also would punish businesses that employ, rent to or provide goods and social services to illegal immigrants. A proposal in Landis would require that all written or spoken government business must be in English even if it means people bring their own interpreter.

Father Leaves Children in Burning Home
The father of two children killed Tuesday afternoon in a house fire left them inside the house while he sought treatment for a burn, a neighbor said.

"He had grease all over him," said Dorothy Coleman. "He rang my bell and told me he had got burned from a grease fire and needed to go to the hospital. He said the fire was out and asked if I could watch the children."

Coleman said black smoke was billowing from the home as she crossed the street toward Nagayle Carroll's house.

The house was fully engulfed in flames and smoke when firefighters arrived a few minutes later.

Firefighters found the girl, Sannia Carroll, 3, and boy, Nasean Carroll, 7 months, inside the burning house and rushed them to Thomasville Medical Center. Attempts to resuscitate them were unsuccessful.

Skeletal Remains Identified
It may be some time before authorities know how Othelia Bridges died. Bridges is the woman who had been missing since May, 2004, and whose remains were found last week by a Duke Power line crew. Sheriff Dane Mastin tells 3WC News dental and medical records form the county’s missing person cases were submitted to the state last week, after Bridges’ remains were taken to Chapel Hill for investigation. While those records can be matched, or ruled out, very quickly, it can take much longer to determine a cause of death – and in some deaths, that cannot be determined after so much time has elapsed. Should Bridges death turn out to be of a criminal nature, investigators then have to reopen a case that’s been inactive for about two years – a case in which important witnesses may have moved or died, and in which those who are still around have had a lot of time for their memories to change.

New Jobs in the Area
Ninety-six new jobs are on the way to Elkin, according to the office of Governor Mike Easley. Ottenwiler Company, a company based in Fort Wayne, Indiana that supplies precision machined and custom fabricated welded parts, will invest almost 5-million dollars for a new plant in Surry County. The new jobs will pay about 25-percent more than the county’s average hourly wage, according to Easley’s office – with the average Ottenwiler Company wage falling about 600-dollars a week, plus benefits.

The announcement was made possible in part by a $75,000 One North Carolina Fund grant. The One North Carolina Fund assists the state in industry recruitment and expansion by providing financial assistance through local governments to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. One North Carolina Fund grants require and are contingent upon a local match. Through the use of this Fund, more than 19,000 jobs and $3 billion in investment have been created since 2001.

Wilkes Drug Arrests
In their ongoing efforts to combat drugs in Wilkes County, the sheriff’s office made three arrests over the weekend.

They executed a search warrant on Friday night on a suspected drug house in North Wilkesboro. While they didn’t find any drugs, deputies did find a man wanted for failure to appear in court. Melvin Bumpus was arrested once deputies learned of the warrant.

Another warrant was served on a different house in North Wilkesboro early Saturday afternoon. This time, deputies did locate a baggie of cocaine in the refrigerator and a baggie of Xanax in a woman’s purse. They arrested 26-year old Lloyd Pegrum for felony cocaine possession and other charges. Because the woman had a small child with her and o one to take care of the child, she was told to turn herself in to face charges of illegal drug possession once she had made arrangements for the child.

Marijuana was the drug of choice at another home raided by deputies just before 8 Saturday evening. During this search, over 40 grams of marijuana – enough to justify charges of possession with intent to sell marijuana – was found. Deputies arrested 41-year old Terry Anderson and 53-year old Brenda Anderson on that charge and several drug paraphernalia charges. Each is now free on a bond of five-thousand dollars.

Attempted Strangulation
A North Wilkesboro man is behind bars, charged with trying to strangle his girlfriend. 19-year old Jordan Daniel Eldridge was arrested Saturday after his girlfriend reported the incident, which she said happened last Tuesday. She told deputies he had pinned her to the bed during a confrontation, holding her across the neck with his arm and threatening her and saying this time he wouldn’t leave any marks.

Some in Wilkes Report Being Harrassed
Two residents of Wilkes County have recently reported quite different types of harassment to police.

In a case reported Sunday morning, a Wilkesboro-area resident said she had found an envelope attached to her gate when she woke up that morning. She believed the envelope, which contained an un-signed letter and some cash, was the latest in a series of harassing letters written by an ex-boyfriend. Sheriff deputies say the man had not been seen in the area or around the home during the time in question.

A 22-year old North Wilkesboro woman reported earlier in the weekend a pattern of harassment she believes started over a month ago. Back about July 9th, according to the woman, someone started calling her at all hours of the night in early July. She reports the calls have continued to get worse. Police don’t have a suspect at this time, but the case remains under investigation.


In Regional News:

Charges in Marine Killings
Two Marines at Camp Lejeune have been charged in the killings of fellow Marines last week.

20-year old Pfc. Jondre Andrew Lowemincey, who served in the same unit as the victims, has been charged with two counts of murder, Jacksonville Police Chief Mike Yaniero said Tuesday. Pfc. Tharon Javon Johnson, 19, was charged with accessory after the fact to felony murder, Yaniero said.

Lowemincey was being held without bail Tuesday. Johnson was in the Onslow County Jail with bond set at $350,000.

The charges stem from the slayings of Lance Cpl. Amanda L. Carrithers, 19, and Lance Cpl. Jordan Barrow, 19. Both were from the Chicago area and like Lowemincey were assigned to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, 2nd Supply Battalion.

Police found the bodies just after midnight Aug. 15 after being called to a home the victims shared in Jacksonville. It was the city's first double homicide in at least 20 years.


Infant Who Swallowed Cocaine Improving
The condition of a 9-month-old boy who ate cocaine over the weekend was upgraded to stable, Monroe police said Tuesday.

Authorities said the boy had been left alone in a room at his father's home in northwest Monroe on Saturday. The father and two friends returned to the room and found the child had swallowed some of the cocaine. Police have not said how much.

The three men took the baby to a local hospital, where doctors sent the child via helicopter to the main Charlotte branch of Carolinas Medical Center. The boy had been in critical condition for the past two days.

Brandon Scott Lewis, 22, the child's father, was charged with possession of cocaine, authorities said.

Jonathan Lawrence Henderson, 37, and David Autry, 19, both of Matthews, were charged with possession and delivery of the drug, authorities said. Both men also face charges of assault inflicting serious bodily injury.

NWHS Teacher, Coach Dies
Students and staff members at North Wilkes Middle and High Schools are mourning the loss of a teacher over the weekend. Former North Wilkes Middle School Coach Steven Kennedy was found dead yesterday morning, apparently having committed suicide. The 26-year old Kennedy had recently moved from being the wrestling coach at North Wilkes Middle School to being an assistant coach at North Wilkes High School. He was found by his mother.

Pistol, Other Items Stolen
Sheriff deputies have no suspects in the theft of a VCR, a camera and a pistol from a Wilkes county home. Frank Billings told deputies he arrived home Wednesday about sunset, and found the front door broken in and the items missing. Neighbors say they didn’t see anyone around the house.

More Thefts from Job Sites
Someone has taken tools and some items for house building form another Wilkes county site. Sheriff Deputies say this case happened last Wednesday at a site on Grace Point Drive near Boomer. The worker making the report said an air compressor and some faucets were stolen; a list that may grow longer when the builder makes a full report. It’s the latest in a series of thefts from homes being built in Wilkes County.

DWI...Again
Sheriff’s deputies say a Hickory man they took to jail for DWI this weekend was driving without a license – because he’d lost it due to a prior under the influence conviction. 24-year old Stephen Taylor was stopped at a license check on old 421 early yesterday (Sunday) with a beer in the front seat, and according to deputies, reeking of alcohol. When he was tested at the roadside stop, his blood alcohol was point-1-3, or five points above the legal limit. He was jailed on a charge of driving with a revoked license, and police seized his car.

Car/Foot Chase
A Wilkes County Sheriff deputy had to subdue a man using pepper spray Friday night, following a short car and foot chase. On routine patrol, the deputy noticed a car withone headlight out. He turned around to pull the car over, and it sped up, leading the deputy on a half-mile chase down River Road and onto a gravel side road. When the deputy caught up with him, the driver bolted, and ran about 50 yards before the deputy shot him with pepper spray and subdued him. 29-year old William Brian Bounds was treated at Wilkes Regional then sent to Baptist Hospital for re-setting his wrist, which he says was broken when he fell during the foot chase. Bounds was told to appear on the charges within three weeks, or there would be a warrant issued for his arrest. Besides the charges stemming form the chase, Bounds was also charged with driving on a revoked license.

In Regional News:

Unemployment Rate Up a Bit
The unemployment rate in North Carolina increased in July after holding steady for two months. State officials said the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.8 percent, the same as the national average. It's a slight increase from 4.6 percent in June, but a substantial drop from July of last year, when the rate was 5.4 percent.

Judge: Progress on Poor Schools
The judge who is overseeing a long-running court case on school quality said he's pleased with the progress North Carolina has made in reforming its poor schools. Judge Howard Manning warned in March that he might close 19 of the state's poor-performing high schools unless state officials made changes to improve them, including firing the principals. At a hearing Friday in Raleigh, Manning said he's happy with the work so far but could still close schools if he sees inadequate improvement. Manning has warned state leaders for about two years that dozens of high schools fall short of a state constitutional requirement that all students receive adequate educational opportunities. There are no Wilkes county schools on that list.